Chapter 176: Embers of Fate Patterns

The Fate Cultivator also practiced the "Dharma Cultivation" path.

His Dharma was very special, called the "Cocoon Transformation Art."

It corresponded to the "Butterfly Transformation Art."

It could strip all abilities of a target and seal them inside a "cocoon."

When needing to use a certain ability, one would simply select a cocoon and eat it.

However, the Fate Cultivator, combining his own Fate Pattern, made some improvements, changing the "cocoon" into dough skin.

The original cocoon could only be used once, but using the original owner's dough skin as the "cocoon" allowed for repeated use.

Only, those who practiced this Dharma were especially hated and had been killed until they were nearly extinct.

The Fate Cultivator did not want to fight Xu Yuan to the death, so he had not used the "Cocoon Transformation Art" until now.

Once unleashed, it truly meant fighting until death or mutual destruction.

The fact that he practiced the "Cocoon Transformation Art" absolutely could not be leaked.

And once this Dharma was cast, the Fate Cultivator himself could not move.

It was like using one's hand to catch fish in water; one must be extremely cautious, for the slightest movement, and the fish would vanish without a trace.

And as long as one moved during the casting process, the "thing" caught in the hand would slip away.

Therefore, without "chickens and dogs" to protect him, the Fate Cultivator only decided to use this "Sect Art" when he had no other choice.

But suddenly, a strange and terrifying sense of hunger struck, and the Fate Cultivator could not help but whisper softly: "So hungry..."

But in his own ears, he heard three voices speak these three words simultaneously.

"Not good!"

The Fate Cultivator suddenly realized, his hands loosened, ignoring the continued casting, and he first had to peel off the two layers of dough skin on his face!

But that sense of hunger struck even more fiercely at this moment.

The Fate Cultivator's hands touched his face, then uncontrollably shoved themselves directly into his mouth!

Crunch, crunch, crunch...

They were chewed up and eaten very quickly!

The speed of his mouth opening and closing was so fast it created afterimages.

Yet the Fate Cultivator grew hungrier; his own two hands had been eaten, and his arms were still being eaten... yet he had eaten nothing.

It was the two mouths on the two dough skins that had each bitten onto an arm, eating furiously!

Because the Fate Cultivator had eaten nothing, he grew even hungrier, which had already made him lose his reason.

And on his body, there were several other face skins!

These face skins had originally been hidden on his skin under the control of his Cocoon Transformation Art.

Now they also strangely surfaced, then turned around and began to eat the Fate Cultivator's body!

The one on his legs tore off a large chunk of flesh and meat, chewing it with satisfaction.

The one on his chest began gnawing on his ribs!

The Fate Cultivator's own mouth suddenly let out a long, piercing, ear-splitting scream to the sky; cracks spread from the corners of his mouth throughout his entire body, and from within the cracks surged a mass of purple-black blood vessels, bone spikes, and grotesque tumors!

In an instant, the Fate Cultivator had grotesquely transformed into a monster resembling a mountain of flesh!

From head to toe, almost every place had split open into a large mouth filled with fangs.

The will of the Fate Cultivator himself, as well as the wills of those face skins on his body, also split simultaneously.

Each one fractured into more than a dozen sub-consciousnesses.

Over a hundred consciousnesses shared this single body.

All the hungry mouths roared and screamed at once: "I'm so hungry! Feed me! Feed me—"

Xu Yuan saw with his own eyes that at the moment the Fate Cultivator grotesquely transformed, his three Fate Patterns shattered together.

They turned into thousands upon thousands of bright points like starlight, slowly sprinkling themselves into the mortal world.

Xu Yuan was the closest; roughly one-third of these Fate Pattern "embers" were sucked into his body.

Xu Yuan was very surprised.

Could this also be a cultivation method of the Fate Cultivators?

But if that were the case... why was there a rule among Fate Cultivators to "avoid deadly duels as much as possible"?

As soon as this doubt arose, Xu Yuan himself figured it out:

The number of Fate Cultivators was too small.

If everyone cultivated by hunting their own kind...

Within a few years, the Fate Cultivators would go extinct first.

But Xu Yuan truly did not want any of these three Fate Patterns.

After unconsciously inhaling these embers, he felt a bit worried: Could my next Fate Pattern be one of these three?

As Xu Yuan was thinking these thoughts, the grotesquely transformed monster rolled and crushed toward him.

This thing no longer had hands or feet.

Its entire body was just a giant meat ball.

From the large mouths shot out long tongues lined with barbs, and tubes with suckers!

"Feed me—"

Countless voices shouted in chaos.

They also had the effect of disturbing the mind.

Xu Yuan silently wrung the water out of the human skin.

If he had blown air into the human skin to make it ten zhang in size, he could have used both fists and feet to smash the Fate Cultivator to death.

But after the last use, the human skin had already developed numerous cracks.

It could likely only be used one more time—this time, it would be utterly destroyed.

But if used in the form of a three-year-old child, it would not only perfectly trigger the Weirdness of Fate, but also require no violent motion, allowing the human skin to be used once more.

Xu Yuan put away the human skin, then waved his hand behind him: "Qusui Office, move out!"

Shi Bading led his men, following at a distance of about a hundred zhang.

They had long been eager to act.

Upon hearing Commander Xu's order, they surged forward at once!

Although this anomaly was also terrifying, everyone found it easier to kill.

That earlier senseless mutual injury had damaged morale and left everyone hesitant.

Shi Bading still held the front, swinging his great sword continuously—each strike sheared off a piece of the monster.

The Qusui Office troops behind him split into several groups.

Wu Xiu assisted Shi Bading from the side.

Dan Xiu burned the pieces Shi Bading cut off into ash using their abdominal fire.

Shen Xiu and Fa Xiu restrained the anomaly with their own methods.

This time, Mao Dabin's firelock also hit true, no longer injuring comrades.

United front and rear, they wore down the anomaly for half an hour before finally annihilating it completely.

Shi Bading, drenched in sweat, slammed his great sword into the ground with a clang and roared with laughter: "Thrilling! Thrilling!"

This achievement was substantial.

The defeat at Shuangjiang Pass was now insignificant!

Once I return to Huicheng, I will present my brilliant strategy for the Divisional Patrol Station to Master of Laws—then I shall be his foremost general, both civil and martial!

Xu Yuan smiled and praised: "Brothers, you've worked hard!"

Not hard at all, ha! Following the two lords is thrilling—this merit keeps coming one after another!

These Captains of the Qusui Office were inwardly somewhat conflicted.

Since they all possessed some skill, they naturally did not wish to follow a superior who constantly avoided trouble and hid his head like a turtle.

What true man lacks ambition to achieve glory?

But if the superior is too reckless, and subordinates suffer heavy casualties… that too is unacceptable.

This mission with Inspector Xu felt just right.

Inspector Xu can protect us, yet never forces brothers to rush ahead when trouble arises.

For instance, this time, the inspector himself resolved the most difficult part first.

The subsequent grinding and killing of the anomaly carried little risk, allowing the brothers to join in together.

From leaving the city until now, aside from that one accident with the sky leak, the brothers suffered almost no losses.

Pingtian Society, Huangya Village, Qingyu Township—these are three solid achievements in hand!

Each man's record will bear a mark.

Even if no promotion comes, the silver reward will not be less.

Xu Yuan waved to the group: "Go back and search the courtyard—leave no survivors."

(End of Chapter)